Beer We Go Steelers

So… I wanted to do a post on the draft and I will also have a draft preview as we get closer. I, however, HATE mock drafts and refuse to  publish one.

I can’t go all the way back to the beginning, but did want to do the Top Picks of the last thirty years.

The Top Five Worst Draft Picks in the last thirty years:

5: Gabriel Rivera: I would have given him an incomplete instead of saying he was a bad pick , the only reason I have Gabe on this list is because we passed Dan Marino on the board to draft him. It is said that until his dying day Art Rooney chastised his sons about that. Gabe eventually started to get it and he was beginning to play well when he had the accident. This is a case of we will never know what would have happened. Marino would have probably gotten his elusive ring if he came to the Steelers. Gabe Rivera probably would have developed into a solid player. But as they say we will never know!

4. Jamain Stephens: You can’t say he was a bust because no one EVER thought he was any good. I seriously have no idea how this could happen? The Cowher first round picks rarely missed, but this was an absolute disaster! The guy was just out of juice from Jump Street.

3. John Rienstra: After not picking in the top ten for nearly 15 years the Steelers were bound to get a pick to get the team back on track. They DIDN’T. Rienstra was a guard and just absolutely tanked as a Steeler. He became a journeyman and lasted seven seasons or so in the NFL. The reason he isn’t higher on the list?? Originally, I had him slated for number one, but truthfully there wasn’t much after him to write home about. There were some nice players, but no guys who jumped off the page.

2. Huey Richardson: The legend goes that the Steelers had three guys on their draft board ready to go and all three were picked in succession, so they scrambled and picked Richardson. They would have been better off picking a name out of a hat. He was gone after one very uninspiring season, traded for a 7th rounder, and his career was over in two. The only reason he isn’t first is that 7th round pick was Jeff Zgonina, who had a good run with the Steelers and a very solid and long NFL career! This was absolutely a complete and utter failure. The good news is that he seems to be very successful after football and he narrowly escaped 9/11.  

1. Tim Worley/ Tom Ricketts: In Steeler lore this is the gruesome twosome! You get two first rounders and you miss on both of them. Miss might be an understatement. Sam Toperoff author of “Lost Sundays” hit the nail on the head with Worley, he recognized he lacked character. After he finished football his last season at Georgia, he never went back to college as in left in November never to be seen again. He was a train wreck waiting to happen! It happened. Ricketts was never the road plow he was supposed to be and kind of faded into the sunset. I even tried to Google him and he doesn’t appear in the Top Ten!

The Top Five Draft Day Steals in the last thirty years:

5. Hardy Nickerson: The 1987 draft was one of the most underrated in Steelers history. It produced one Hall of Famer and two very worthy candidates including Hardy Nickerson. He was an excellent middle Linebacker and had a tremendous career.  

4: Hines Ward: The best receiver in Steelers history! He was a compensatory selection and he made the most of it. A Super Bowl, MVP, a sure Hall of Famer and a linebacker trapped in a WR body. He is the epitome of everything Steelers. Not to mention he is a heck of a dancer!

3. Darren Perry: He was the Steelers 8th overall pick in the 1992 draft. He led the team in interceptions and was the solid playmaker that allowed Rod Woodson and Carnell Lake to use their athleticism. He had 32 career picks and ranks in the Steelers top ten. I however am pissed at him because he helped coach the Packers in the last Super Bowl. 🙂 He was still a great pick and underrated!

2. Carnell Lake: As I documented earlier, “The Emperor” missed the first two in the 1989 draft by a mile. However, the draft was still a success. How do you miss your TWO first round picks and still have a good draft?? Very simple: Draft Carnell Lake second! He was one of the most versatile and important players in the Cowher dynasty and he saved the Super Bowl season when Rod went down. I am also happy to report he is back with the team as a coach!! The Steelers also drafted, Jerry Olsavsky who had a nice career with the Steelers and Pro-Bowler Carlton Haselrig.

1. Greg Lloyd: In 1987 the Steelers got the Anchor of their Defense in the 1st round of the draft; Rod Woodson. Well the only thing I can say to dispute that is they got Lloyd in that draft too and he might have been just as much of an anchor. Lloyd was an absolute killer and one of the best linebackers in Steeler history. He actually was considered for a long snapper spot and as a 6B pick was one of the best steals in the NFL Draft! Whenever I hear people say that “The Emperor” Chuck Noll was through at the end I laugh and look at who and what he produced. This draft basically was the beginning cornerstone of the Cowher Dynasty. 

Coming soon “The Top Picks of the last Thirty Years!”